Should I sell the Taco?

As the kids get bigger, the 4 door tacoma is seeming like it may not be as useful for long trips as I once dreamed. I am considering swapping the truck for an older AWD sienna...... anyone go through this already and have strong thoughts one way or the other?

As the kids get bigger, the 4 door tacoma is seeming like it may not be as useful for long trips as I once dreamed. I am considering swapping the truck for an older AWD sienna...... anyone go through this already and have strong thoughts one way or the other?

Brah!  We're a 2 van fam!  AWD Sienna sounds like a dream...

We bought a brand new sienna (i think it is AWD) last year. Drove to LA and Tahoe in winter. The van is so roomy and kids love it. Before the Sienna, our primary car is a Cayenne. Comparing the two, Sienna wins in every aspect with kids. At beginning of this year, I bought a Tacoma. I fit all 4 of us in it a few times. Even drive across the bay felt it is so small and compact. Can't imagine any long trips in it with kids. Sold it after owning it for 4 months. So my answer is yes, absolutely swap it.

Do it. You won’t regret it. An AWD Sienna is an all rounder vehicle. Extra handy if you have extra  people to drive around

This is interesting. I am considering getting a Tacoma to load my yak in the bed and also for family use. I am getting tired of cartopping my Revo 13 on my Rav4. 

Journeys Off Road also makes these sweet lift kits for them if you have a need for extra ground clearance!

https://www.journeysoffroad.com/toyota-sienna.html

This is interesting. I am considering getting a Tacoma to load my yak in the bed and also for family use. I am getting tired of cartopping my Revo 13 on my Rav4.

Me too I'm also tired of cartopping off my van and I'm waiting to move to a truck of some sort 

Definitely not toyota bc they suck in gas. I had a 4 door tacoma once and it fish tail a lot on wet roads.

We bought a brand new sienna (i think it is AWD) last year. Drove to LA and Tahoe in winter. The van is so roomy and kids love it. Before the Sienna, our primary car is a Cayenne. Comparing the two, Sienna wins in every aspect with kids. At beginning of this year, I bought a Tacoma. I fit all 4 of us in it a few times. Even drive across the bay felt it is so small and compact. Can't imagine any long trips in it with kids. Sold it after owning it for 4 months. So my answer is yes, absolutely swap it.

We have a Cayenne Hybrid and I can't stand it.  I'm saliving over a Sienna - love they have 1500W inverter option - but Mrs says she doesn't want that far of a departure from a sporty driving experience, ugh.

We bought a brand new sienna (i think it is AWD) last year. Drove to LA and Tahoe in winter. The van is so roomy and kids love it. Before the Sienna, our primary car is a Cayenne. Comparing the two, Sienna wins in every aspect with kids. At beginning of this year, I bought a Tacoma. I fit all 4 of us in it a few times. Even drive across the bay felt it is so small and compact. Can't imagine any long trips in it with kids. Sold it after owning it for 4 months. So my answer is yes, absolutely swap it.

We have a Cayenne Hybrid and I can't stand it.  I'm saliving over a Sienna - love they have 1500W inverter option - but Mrs says she doesn't want that far of a departure from a sporty driving experience, ugh.

We husbands know. We may be wearing the pants but wife got us grab by the balls 

AWD Sienna would be super cool.  Spacious and comfortable for sure. As others mentioned, kinda tall for kayak loading, but plenty of folks car top on SUVs. Just gotta get the method down, and maybe not be too afraid of a little scratch on the car or the kayak when something eventually slips.

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I would wager most Taco owners would be better served with a van...

We are in a similar situation, and are still making do with a GMC Canyon crew cab for our road trips (and weekend warrior kayaking etc).  We actually have an older Sienna too, but the canyon has better gas mileage and range(diesel), 4WD, and easier to haul kayaks and other outdoor toys and equipment.  I think if I used the sienna for kayak fishing I would eventually destroy it with the inevitable salt water corrosion from wet gear. If you are a more meticulous person you can get away with a van, but I need a truck as long as I am kayak fishing.

With our kids getting bigger as well, I am looking to move to a larger truck.  If it weren't a Stellantis product, my next vehicle would be the upcoming Ram Charger.  It is everything I am looking for in a truck, but I need to see the issues and reliability over the first few years...and chances are it will be stupid expensive. 

The full sized Chevy Silverado / GMC Sierra diesels are solid, but the asking price is also steep.

We are in a similar situation, and are still making do with a GMC Canyon crew cab for our road trips (and weekend warrior kayaking etc).  We actually have an older Sienna too, but the canyon has better gas mileage and range(diesel), 4WD, and easier to haul kayaks and other outdoor toys and equipment.  I think if I used the sienna for kayak fishing I would eventually destroy it with the inevitable salt water corrosion from wet gear. If you are a more meticulous person you can get away with a van, but I need a truck as long as I am kayak fishing.

With our kids getting bigger as well, I am looking to move to a larger truck.  If it weren't a Stellantis product, my next vehicle would be the upcoming Ram Charger.  It is everything I am looking for in a truck, but I need to see the issues and reliability over the first few years...and chances are it will be stupid expensive. 

The full sized Chevy Silverado / GMC Sierra diesels are solid, but the asking price is also steep.

Super happy with our 3.5 Ecoboost F150... Good point about salt water dripping onto the top of the car. F150 is also aluminum body panels - no rust for me, haha.

I have owned three Siennas in my lifetime, including my current car, a 2012 2WD Sienna. I previously owned a 1998 2WD Sienna and a 2004 AWD Sienna. IMO, minivans provide way more value and practicality than an SUV, especially if you have family. My next passenger car would be a Sienna AWD hybrid if I have the choice. 

But I have two negatives to report for your consideration. The last Sienna I owned was a 2004 Sienna AWD. In order to accommodate the AWD drivetrain back then, Toyota removed the spare tire and instead gave you special "run flat" tires. They wore out quickly and they cost 4X as much to replace as regular tires. I think four new run-flat tires ran like $1,600 plus labor to replace, even back then. And tire shops wouldn't simply put regular tires on an AWD Sienna because it wasn't specified by the manufacturer. So look into the spare tire/run flat/replacement cost situation on the new model before making a decision. It may not be a deal breaker but if the newer models still require special, high-cost tires, it certainly is a factor in the calculus.

The second negative on a minivan is cartopping. On the water, I ride a Compass (68 lb hull weight, lighter than a Revo 13), but cartopping on a minivan is still much harder than cartopping on a sedan, or carrying it in your truck bed. While I can usually get my kayak up on the roof rack just fine, I have "dropped" my kayak in a parking lot on more than one occasion trying to do that dance. Lifting a boat overhead solo is not super easy especially when you are physically wiped out from a long day of pedaling. Even though I am avg height (5-10.5) I am constantly looking for doorsills and bumpers to climb on to get the straps right, etc. I have resorted to carrying a step stool in the rear cargo area because a minivan is just too tall for me to cartop without some sort of boost.  Also, car scratches are inevitable when cartopping. Also, if you want to cartop two kayaks on your minivan, the factory racks may be too narrow, and possibly too flimsy. I had to purchase two sets of J racks ($500) to get two kayaks to fit on my minivan, and even then I'm maxing out the recommended load on the factory racks (150#). Probably not wise to push that envelope. I could also purchase some sturdy, wide aftermarket bars from Thule or Yakima, but that is even pricier than two J-racks, plus it creates wind noise and reduces fuel efficiency. My fishing buddy drives an older Ridgeline with one of those t-bar hitch thingies and it is SO much easier to load two kayaks in the bed of his truck. He basically insists on driving if we fish together, and I don't object. All in all, a minivan is NOT a great kayak fishing vehicle, when compared to a truck.

So MY ideal situation would be to own BOTH a new Sienna hybrid AWD as a passenger/family car, and an older pickup with a hitch mounted T-bar for fishing and other dirty jobs.

I hope this helps.

So MY ideal situation would be to own BOTH a new Sienna hybrid AWD as a passenger/family car, and an older pickup with a hitch mounted T-bar for fishing and other dirty jobs.

I hope this helps.

Agreed. Our van, the  Honda Odyssey's indispensable for the families needs outperforming our SUV. I installed stock roof racks on the van last summer and thought to myself, well damn that’s tall. I would recommend getting extended roof rack bars with a set of hullivators.  These days I prefer the nostalgia of the old  standard 22re toyota pickup that’s pretty much ready, attached, and loaded for kayak fishing stuff at all times.

In order to accommodate the AWD drivetrain back then, Toyota removed the spare tire and instead gave you special "run flat" tires. They wore out quickly and they cost 4X as much to replace as regular tires. I think four new run-flat tires ran like $1,600 plus labor to replace, even back then. And tire shops wouldn't simply put regular tires on an AWD Sienna because it wasn't specified by the manufacturer.

Not to be brash, but sounds like you need a new tire shop.  Run flat tires are pretty awful all the way around. I've had three vehicles that came with those - I make them go away as soon as they wear out.